Under a Starless Sky novel Chapter 27

Shen learned to walk in the night without clicking, using just the orb, unlit in his hand. If he focused on the orb, he could light it up, bright enough it illuminated his hand. It never became too hot to hold. Holding it made skies blue even at night. The blue light was not like blue skies, though, but was more like sustained lightening. He became aware of ghost in the forest. Some challenged him and disappeared. Some flirted with him, drawing him further into the forest. Inevitably the ghost led him to or away from particular trees. They were Awakened Sleeping Trees, but the ghosts were not tree tulpas. He suspected the Trees were simply host to the ghosts, not actually Tree consciousness personified. Touching the tree led him into the inner life of the tree. Each tree would open up to him revealing a hidden oasis, a world beyond the wardrobe. Some of these hidden places were populated only by animals. Some had people. On one occasion he approached a camp fire and was able to talk to the people. He was invited to sit with them and eat. He recognized one of the girls as one of participants in his first Sleeping tree ceremony.

“I remember you. You…”

“I didn’t want to go back,” she said. “That place is so hard. This place… Well, you see it for yourself. Stay with us. You’re welcome here.”

Shen withdrew. He found another tree and engaged in a conversation, only it wasn’t a conversation. It was like listening to a recording. He went deeper in and found himself witnessing an event that he suspected was in a real place. Two teenagers, their hair the color of novices.

“I am carrying a gift,” one said. This information was conveyed with excitement.

Her friend frowned.

“What? I thought you’d be happy for me.”

“Does anyone know?”

“What?”

“Have you told anyone?” her friend demanded.

“I am telling you,” she said.

Her friend rummaged her bag and pulled out a pouch with flowers. “Eat this.”

“You want me to return the gift?” her friend asked, appalled.

“I have been gifted. My family knows,” the friend said. “Jie-Ann is gifted. Her master knows. We cannot all be pregnant at the same time. They will break up our triad.”

“Then let them break it up,” the girl said. “I am going to bring this gift into the world.”

“If you love me, you will end it. I don’t want to lose you or Jie-Ann…”

Shen got out of it. More often than not, when he found himself in the ‘real world’ with people, there was drama; he didn’t need tree drama, even if it was only a recreation of a past event. It reminded him of Thai television, all soap opera like dramas, or talk shows with funny themes and dorky sound effects stolen from out dated shows. He found himself talking to the trees in the forest. He crushed on a ghost that would visit the open space near his cave. It was difficult not crushing on her. She was beautiful, but also she flirted with him. Once he woke to her hovering over him. She was embarrassed and ran away. The next time he saw her in the clearing he told her he was not harmed, and she could remain, but she stayed at the periphery of the camp.

Entering the dreams of trees meant they could enter his. His dreams were as bizarre, populated by people he had never met. He found himself in a myriad of situations and epochs acting out scenes with people as if he had lived them. He met Oa’s human half. He learned a little bit about them, but it felt like ghost stories, people living on the inner surface of a hollow Earth. On being Lucid in his dreams, he tried talking to Oa, but rarely got a response. It was here, in a Lucid Dream, he reconnected with Loxy. He didn’t care if it was the dream her or the real her through a psychic connection- he wanted to be with her, and he did, and she solidified and embraced him. When he awoke, she was there with him. Solid real. She had substance and a place in the solid world that was modeled in his head, but she was not in the physical world.

“I have missed you,” Shen said.

“And I you,” Loxy said.

Navigating the real world, and the dream world of trees, became much easier and delightful with his companion.

निर्मित

He was walking in the dark, without direct purpose, on the edges of the Sleeping Forest when he became aware of an interloper. He was able to view her from outside her heart’s wall. He could draw closer with vision, without drawing closer in body. He knew her. It was Candace. She was alone and reciting a ritual prayer. She had chosen a tree, or a tree had chosen her, depending on the interpretation of her prayer. She climbed the tree, arrived at the first suitable branch, and then walked out further, holding onto other branches, testing, probing. He was interested.

“What are you doing?” he asked himself.

Loxy was suddenly beside him, in ghost form, watching with him. To him, the whole forest was alight with the most amazing blue light, as if sky blue had flooded the underneath. He didn’t question if it was reality or a dream. Loxy was in both worlds all the time now and so her presence didn’t draw him out; he remained in witness mode.

“She’s searching for her talent,” Loxy said. “If she is successful, she will wake with a gift and a staff. If she isn’t…”

“She’ll be dead,” Shen said.

Loxy nodded. “It is their way.”

Candace had decided on a branch. She tied three ropes to it, allowing the other ends to fall towards ground. She turned to go back in towards the tree when the branch she was walking on broke. The snapping of the branch resulted in a pulse, a visible light echoed out from the tree. The surrounding trees echoed. The energy dissipated. She was asleep before she hit the ground, no chance to even grab one of the ropes she had tied. No time to be scared. Shen thought it a good thing she was unconscious because her leg was evidently broken; it was bent the wrong way.

Shen rushed her. Loxy guided him in a creating a splint, which he made using branches he cut free from the fallen limb, and cutting lengths from her rope. When there was nothing more he could do for the leg, he decided he needed to keep her warm. He wanted to make a fire, but didn’t want to leave her in the dark while he searched for material.

“Jon-Shen, it’s time,” Loxy said.

“For what? You to arrive with the ship and beam us up?”

“Pull a stone out of your bag,” Loxy said.

“My magic doesn’t work here…” Shen said, reaching into his bag to prove to her and… His hand closed on an object. He pulled out a rock.